Into the Blue
by PackUpTheMoon
Summary: Kurt Hummel has visited mermaids ever since he was ten years old, and has been intruiged by them ever since, visiting them whenever he was upset. He thought he knew everything about them, but he never thought he'd end up falling in love with one.
1. Chapter 1

**I know I've been gone long. But you know, life. Got in the way. Majorly. April was legitimately the most hectic month of my whole entire life. **

**I don't really know where this is going. Like I've got some idea of what I want but I'm not sure how I'm going to get it there, so just bear with me and suspend all disbilief if it ends up being so ridiculous that it's worse than gLee. **

**Speaking of gLee, EVERYONE KISSED BUT KLAINE. RIB hate klainers, I swear to God he does. If they don't kiss in the season finally I'm going to go on a murderous rampage to the gLee studios. PM me if you want in. **

**DisclaimerL I don't own gLee, even though I WISH I did. **

**also, I changed my username. **

* * *

**ONE**

''Where are you going?''

I hesitate, one hand on the doorknob, and I turn back to face my father.

''Where are you going?'' he repeats the question, and I narrow my eyes.

''Out'' I counter, and he frowns.

''Come on, Kurt, don't play games. Where are you headed?'' dad asks, more firmly this time, and crosses his arms over his chest.

''The zoo has a new exhibit'' I say finally, and he lifts a brow.

''What's upsetting you?'' he asks, and I sigh in frustration.

''Why do you always assume I'm upset when I go to the zoo?'' I demand, and dad shrugs.

''Because you usually are when you visit the fish things'' he says, and I groan.

''_Mermaids_, dad, they're called mermaids. Seriously, you'd think that after I dressed up as one for three Halloweens in a row, you'd remember what they're called. Obviously not. But I really am going to see a new exhibit'' I say, but dad's expression says he doesn't believe me.

''So nothing is bothering you'' he says slowly, and I shake my head. He keeps his eyes locked on mine, and I sigh, finally caving.

''I got in a fight with Rachel'' I deadpan, and dad laughs in triumph.

''I did overhear you calling her some very colourful names when you were on the phone with Mercedes yesterday'' he says, and I frown.

''But there really _is_ a new exhibit I want to see'' I protest, and dad nods.

''And what is this 'new exhibit''' he asks, and I grin.

''They found a herd of mermen, dad. Mer_men_! Isn't that cool?'' I squeal, and dad blinks.

''I guess so. But I want you home by seven'' he says, and I gape at him/

''Seven? But-what-why?'' I splutter, ''it's already almost four, I'll get there by five and then I'll only get an hour to-''

''Kurt, its Friday night! And you know Friday night dinners are our rituals'' he reminds me, ''and besides, it's only a week until you and Finn are back at school, and we want to have one last dinner before it gets too hectic'' he smiles winningly, and my shoulders slump.

''Fine'' I mutter, and dad tosses me the house keys.

''Don't forget to lock the door'' he says cheerfully, and walks away.

Muttering profanities under my breath, I leave the house, making sure to pull the door closed extra hard behind me. Leave it to dad to put a time limit on my favourite place to go to.

I've been going to the zoo ever since my mom took me when I was ten, to see the very first mermaid. I remember her having dark hair that hung in waves past her bare chest, eyes that were a dark, rich honey gold, and a sky blue tail that reminded me so much of my mother's eyes. But her species was considered very primitive compared to us, and despite my begging, my mother wouldn't let me so much as get near the Plexiglas window that separated her from me.

I continued going after my mother died, as a way to cope with my grief, and I just kept going every time I was upset, which was pretty often, believe me. I'm pretty well-known at the zoo now, and whenever one of their feeders can't drop by at a late time or something, I'm usually the first option as a replacement.

By the time I get to the zoo, it quarter after five, and I start at a brisk pace downstairs and towards the aquariums.

Just as I'm nearing a throng of people crowding around the exhibit, a voice stops me in my tracks.

''Hi, Kurt'' a low voice says, and I pull to a halt.

I spin around, and put on my best 'I-really-don't-want-to-talk-to-you-but-I'll-feel-mean-if-I-don't' smile, and say, ''hi Dave''

Dave Karofsky is one of the security guards, only two years my senior, and is a little bit obsessed with me. One of the downsides of coming to the zoo is this guy constantly pawing at me whenever we're alone.

''Off to see the new exhibit, eh?'' he takes a wide step towards me, closing the space between us, and I swallow audibly.

''Yup'' I say, ''you know how much I love mermaids'' I titter nervously, and Dave laughs.

''Listen, Kurt'' he lifts a hand to scratch the back of his head, and then continues. ''I was wondering, if, uh, maybe, um, maybe after you checked out the exhibit, we could, uh, get a coffee or something'' he says, and I internally wince. Going on a date with Dave is definitely not something I want to do.

''Friday night dinner'' I say, taking a step backwards, ''sorry'' I lift a shoulder, and Dave shrugs.

''Right, okay. Sure. Maybe another day'' he looks up hopefully, and I grin in a way that I hope says, 'never going to happen', before turning around and shooting away.

How awkward. Dave and I never really had a good relationship, seeing as he used to push me into lockers and throw me into garbage cans when he was a senior and I was a sophomore. I didn't even know he was gay until he asked me out the first time, which lead to an awkward conversation and a lot of apologizing on my part.

As soon as I get to the throng of people, I push Dave Karofsky out of my mind, and start pushing my way through the people, trying to get as close to the exhibit as possible.

It doesn't take me very long to get through the crowd of people, and before I know it, my hands are pressed up against the Plexiglas wall-no doubt leaving marks, and I'm staring in awe at the mermen.

Mermen, true, honest to God, _men_. And they're so beautiful. One of them has hair so long and blonde it twists and sparkles with the water, his tail the brightest red. Another's is the deepest blue I've ever seen, dotted with gold, making it resemble the dark sky, and soon, my eyes are flitting between, completely struck by there beauty.

They're feral, almost animalistic, coming close to us and hissing, baring teeth that shift into fangs. I pull my hands off of the window, feeling somewhat afraid of them. They're more terrifying than mermaids are. Maybe because they look tougher, stronger, like if there were some merman army they'd be in it.

But one of them hangs back. He's physically smaller than the rest of him, less intimidating, and my eyes are drawn to him. He has dark curly hair, a tail the colour of a summer sunset, and eyes like honey. They're familiar somehow.

I walk over towards him, stepping away from the crowd so I can get closer to him. His shoulders are hunched, and he's turned slightly away from me, so I lift a hand to tap on the glass.

He looks up, eyes wide and terrified, and I try to smile nicely. I don't know what it is about him, but if I could, I would wrap him up in a hug and protect him from whatever is scaring him.

He drifts over to me, and looks up at me through his lashes, his mouth pulling into a small smile.

I grin wider, and press my hand against the glass, hoping to look non-threatening.

The merman mimics the placement of my fingers, and presses his hand against mine, the Plexiglas the only thing separating us. I'm about to open my mouth to say something, mouth words that I hope he'll understand, when-

My phone rings, loud and obnoxious, and I scramble to yank it out of my pocket. ''Hello?'' I lift the phone to my ear, grinning at the merman's confused look.

''It's almost six o'clock'' dad trills in my ear, and I groan.

''I'm heading home now'' I grumble, and dad chuckles.

''See you soon'' he says, and the line cuts.

I angrily shove the phone back into my pocket, and smile apologetically at the merman, before turning around and hurrying away.

The merman is definitely cute. Very cute. And he reminds me of someone I can't quite think of right now. But what I can think of right now is how often I can come back here this week. I'm estimating about three times, if dad goes to work-

''Hey, Kurt!'' Dave calls out just as I'm reaching the exit, and I wince.

''Dave'' I say, spinning around and waving lamely.

''Leaving so soon?'' he asks breathlessly, and I nod.

''Friday night dinner'' I say, and he nods vigorously.

''Right, right'' he says, ''so you think you're gonna come back soon?'' he asks, and I smile, glancing back at the aquarium exhibit.

''You know what'' a pair of honey golden eyes flashes through my head, and my smile grows. ''I'll be back tomorrow''

* * *

**ok so yeah review please telling me whether this is terrible or not! Constructive criticism is my friend!**

**-PackUpTheMoon**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry about the long wait! My BETA and I both had exam week so everything was just crazy and hectic for a while! But we're both out of school so hopefully updates will be smoother from now on :)**

**Thanks to my BETA Thunderstorm Kick Drum (*cough*you should read her stuff*cough*), because without her this would probably be a little bit crazy.**

**_UPDATE_: I have honestly spent this whole month planning my cousins quinciniera (latin american equivalent to a sweet sixteen) and I have not gotten around to writing. I'm leaving for camp tomorrow so I'm SO SORRY but this won't be updating until September. So please bear with me I actually love all of you and I appreciate all of you. I've got the next two chapters pretty much done so expect like speedy quick updates next time :) 3**

**Disclaimer: Glee does not belong to me.**

* * *

The next time I try to sneak out of the house, I'm actually successful. It's Sunday night, and I tell dad that I'm not feeling good and that I'm going to bed early.

"Alright'' dad says, as I drop a kiss to his cheek. ''You better not be getting sick before school'' he reproaches, and I roll my eyes.

"I think I just need to sleep it off'' I shrug a shoulder, and dad purses his lips.

"Take a Nyquil or something just in case'' he advises gruffly, and I laugh.

I walk down into my room, and fiddle with a couple of my jars of facial cream for a couple of minutes. One of the perks of having a bedroom in the basement is that it makes sneaking out of the house a whole lot easier. Just a couple minutes of playing with a loose window screen and I've got an easy way in and out. Despite the easy exit strategy, my dad is pretty smart, and Finn has tried sneaking out enough for my dad to know all of the tricks. But I'm also pretty smart, and instead of using the lumpy pillows as decoys like Finn does, I use the full body pillows I bought with my own money. After I've adjusted the pillows enough so it looks like I'm curled up beneath the blankets, I turn to my window and yank on the loose screws holding the screen in place. I push it out the window, and kneel up on my dresser, cursing mentally when it makes a loud creaking noise. I stay rigid for a moment, listening for any movement upstairs, and when I don't hear anything, I push myself out the window. Now here's the tricky part, the getting out of my room. The first couple meters are easy, because I can just use my feet and the window to shove myself out, but once I can't use my feet anymore, I literally have to dig my fingers into the ground and pull until I can press my knees against the side of the empty window frame to push myself the rest of the way. Once I'm out, I end up looking like I've been dragged across the ground completely against my will.

''Wow, I am not going to get weird looks from anyone'' I mutter sarcastically, trying to wipe the dirt off of my jeans.

I adjust the screen over the window until it looks normal enough that it won't attract any escaped convicts who want to hide in my house, and so I can get in easily when I come back.

I speed walk to the bus stop (obviously I wouldn't take my car, it's too loud) and when I get on the bus I tap my feet loudly against the floor, checking my watch every five minutes. Closing time is getting nearer and nearer, and even when I run from the stop to the zoo, I've only got about half an hour left.

''Shit'' I growl, and start hurrying down to the aquarium exhibit, practically tripping down the stairs in my haste, but before I can even get there, Dave gets into my way.

''Sorry!'' I yelp when I crash into him, and he catches my wrists, steadying me so I don't fall backwards.

''You didn't come yesterday'' he accuses, and I yank my wrists out of his hands. ''You said you would''

''I say a lot of things. And besides, I wasn't allowed out'' I snap, and Dave's eyes travel down my body, making my stomach drop.

''What happened to you?'' he asks, and I gulp loudly, the power of his gaze making me want to wrap up in all of my winter clothes and never ever take them off.

''Sneaking out isn't easy'' it doesn't come out as scathingly as I want it to, and he laughs.

''Why did you even come? It's half an hour until closing time'' he says, and I look down at my feet, shuffling them nervously.

''I know. But I couldn't sneak out earlier'' half an hour won't give me enough time with the merman. I want to spend hours analyzing him, figuring out what it is about him that's _so_ intriguing.

Dave clears his throat, and scratches behind his neck. ''I could, uh, let you stay past closing time if you wanted'' he suggests, and I stare up at him.

''Would you really?'' I ask, and when he nods, I grin. ''You would seriously let me''

''I'm on night duty'' he says boastfully, and I practically jump with joy.

''You're fabulous. You-thank you so much Dave. You are actually amazing. You don't know how much-''

''One condition'' Dave holds up a finger, and my mouth snaps shut. ''Come to lunch with me'' my jaw drops open at his words.

''Excuse me?'' I lean onto my hip, and give Dave my trademark Bitch Glare.

''Come on, Kurt. One lunch. One lunch and I'll let you stay late today and the next time you come'' he coaxes, and I glare at him.

''What if I don't _want_ to?'', I snap, and he narrows his eyes.

''Then I'll go all the way over to your house and tell your dad how many times you've snuck out this summer'' he says, and I resist the urge to clock him in the jaw.

''Its summer, I doubt my dad will care that much'' I say smugly, and Dave nods.

''True. But I think he will care if I tell him how many times you snuck out during the school year'' he threatens.

''You wouldn't''

''One lunch, Kurt''

''This is blackmail!''

''That's a strong word!'' Dave yelps, ''besides, its just one lunch''

My mind is reeling. One half of my brain wants me to say no, and the other half is begging me to say yes. I can practically feel a little Devil-Kurt on my shoulder, hissing ''just do it'' in my ear. But along with the little Devil Kurt, I can also feel Angel Kurt, screaming ''he tortured you! Don't give this to him!'' at the top of his lungs. Unfortunately for me, Devil Kurt is winning, his promise of seeing the merman more enticing than Angel Kurt's promise of keeping my sanity. ''Alright'' I sigh after a few seconds of deliberation, and Dave grins.

''Great, how does Tuesday sound?'' he asks, and I grimace.

''Yeah, Tuesday is great'' I mutter, and then look up at him. ''So you'll let me stay?'' I ask, and he nods. I shoot him one final glare, and slip past him, making my way to the exhibits.

The first exhibit I go to is the first mermaid I ever saw. No one is by her exhibit, probably because the zoo is about to close, so I drop down onto the floor and grin when she swims over to me. I stay there for a couple of minutes, watching as she does a dizzying round of tricks for me. Finally, she swims up at me, and presses her fingers to the glass until I mirror it, something we've done since the first time I visited her. It's times like these where I wish I could tell her how grateful I am for her. How she made it easier to move on from my mother's death.

* * *

''_Mom, hurry up! I want to see the mermaid!'' I squealed, yanking hard on my mom's hand. Didn't she get how cool this is? It's like a real life Ariel!_

''_Slow down, Kurt!'' my mom laughed, ''we have to wait for all the people to move'' she motioned to the crowd of people in front of the mermaid's tank, and I frowned. _

''_I can get through'' I let go of mom's hand and hurried towards the crowd of people, shoving my way through them. I was small enough that it's pretty easy, and after a couple seconds of pushing through people, I was at the front of the crowd, practically pressed up against the glass. _

''_Wow'' I gaped at the mermaid, watching the way she twisted through the water, doing somersaults and flips that I couldn't even do in the water. She was even faster than the penguins in the exhibit on the other side of the zoo, circling her tank so fast that she was practically just a blur._

_I tapped on the glass a couple of times until she swam up to me, her face pulled into a smile that was just as pretty as my mom's. Her eyes were prettier than my moms though, a gold that reminded me of the jars of honey we kept in the fridge back home. _

''_I'm Kurt'' I whispered, pressing my fingertips against the glass, and after a few seconds, she copied me. It felt like a connection or something, as if we were bonded forever. We stayed like that for a while, smiling at each other, until a hand slipped onto my shoulder._

''_Come on, Kurt, let's move back'' I looked up at my mom and pouted. I turned back to the mermaid, and dropped my hand, waving as mom pulled me backwards. _

''_Can we come back tomorrow?'' I asked just as we were about to leave, and mom smiled. _

''_We can come back as much as you want'' she said warmly, and I turned to wave at the beautiful mermaid, grinning when she waved back._

''_I'm going to come back everyday'' I told my mom, slipping my hand into hers as we left the exhibit._

* * *

The announcement for closing time pulls me out of the fond memory and I jump up, blowing the mermaid a quick goodbye kiss. I hurry into one of the maintenance hallways, so no one sees me not actually leaving, and lean against the wall until Dave appears the end of the hallway and shoots me a thumbs up, which I assume is code for 'the coast is clear'.

I shoot him a somewhat grateful smile, and slip through a door that leads to the staircase. I climb up to the third floor, and go into the upper level of the aquarium exhibit. It's all open top up there, so feeding is easier. I know this place almost as well as I know the back of my hand.

I glance within the tanks, until I spot the one I want, and I drop down onto one of the artificial rocks around it. I can see down into it, and I stare at an immobile group of mermen, far off from a single one, who swims from the front of the aquarium to the back over and over and over again.

I lean forwards, and dip my fingers into the water, trying to catch his attention. At first he doesn't look, but when I make a splash, his head flicks up.

I wave, tentatively, then pull my hand back and scoot backwards. Suddenly, this is all a stupid idea. I hope he doesn't come up. I hope he doesn't get it and I just sit here stupidly and then leave. I hope that-

A dark head pops out of the water, and the merman smiles shyly at me.

I give him my most non-threatening smile, and motion for him to come closer.

He swims up close to the rocks, and folds his arms over one. His eyes are sparkling, bright and happy, and he reaches out to press his hand over one of mine.

''Hello there'' I murmur, staring down at his hand-wet but still human-over mine, and his grin falters slightly. ''Oh. Right. I forgot that we may speak different languages'' I laugh nervously, and he laughs too.

His laugh is nice. Low and musical. I bet if he talked it would sound like that too.

''I'm Kurt'' I introduce myself, and he rests his cheek on his folded arms. ''I know you can't understand me, but . . . I figure I might just talk to you''

His smile grows again, and I take it as an indication to start talking again.

''I'm turning eighteen in a couple of months, and I'm starting this year as a senior at William McKinley High school. . . '' while I talk, I watch the merman. His eyes stay on me the whole time I talk, and his tiny smile never fades.

After a couple of minutes of pointless rambling, I stop, and watch the merman's eyes flutter closed. ''I guess I bored you to sleep'' I chuckle, and his eyes flutter open, a grin spreading across his face. ''Your smile is pretty'' I say, and my hand twitches beneath his.

He looks down at our hands, and links his fingers lightly between mine. His skin is slicker than mine and has a slightly rougher texture. It feels odd against my skin, but the look of on the merman's face is enough to make me ignore the oddness. The look on his face reminds me of a young boy, his eyes wide and filled with a childlike awe that makes my heart skip a beat

''Gosh, you're such a dreamboat'' I sigh, happy for once that he can't understand me. Now I can say all the embarrassing things I want to and I don't have to worry about him being disgusted. I don't even know if he's gay. Can merpeople even _be_ gay? Is that even _possible_? A sharp intake of breath makes me snap back to attention, just as the merman starts pushing himself up out of the water.

He leans forwards, eyes on my mouth, and my breath stutters in my throat. _Oh God, he's going to kiss me. Oh God, he's so close, what if I'm a bad kisser, what if he has some weird fish tongue oh God, I'm-_

Suddenly, he's pulled away from me, fingers scrabbling for purchase on the rocks until he's yanked down violently beneath the water, and I let out a shriek as one of the other merman shoots out onto the rocks, a snarl erupting from his mouth. He bares sharp teeth at me, and I scramble backwards until I fall off the rocks, landing with a thump on the linoleum floor.

The merman snarls again, and I jump to my feet, moving backwards until my back is flat against the wall. His body is coiled tight like a spring, making me feel like if I so much as move an inch closer, he'll launch himself at me, ready to rip me apart. I stare at him, his eyes dark and menacing, and my blood pounding in my ears, until he relaxes slightly and slinks back into the water, leaving me in deafening silence.

I swallow audibly and walk in a wide arc around the tank, making my way back into the staircase. I climb downstairs, and leave, not even bothering to alert Dave that I'm leaving.

The bus ride back home is too slow, and I clasp my hands together tightly to keep them from shaking too much. When I get home, I move the screen, climb back into the house, trying not to make too much nose, and screw the screen back in place. Despite the fact that the events of tonight should have me wide awake and terrified, I'm absolutely exhausted, so I skip my nightly moisturizing routine, strip down and crawl into bed. Maybe I should be more freaked out right now. Most people would be. I mean, it's not everyday that people get practically _attacked_ by a supposedly mythical creature. But if anything, I'm just more intrigued by this group of mermen. I mean, when I went last time, the other mermen practically _shunned_ the smaller one, and today, the expression on the more feral merman's face was _protective. _It was more than just 'humans-are-scum' protectiveness, it was almost _brotherly_.

'_God, I wish I wasn't so tired' _I think, flipping over and pulling the blankets tighter around me. I'd probably be doing research right now on mermaid behaviour if my bed wasn't so comfortable. So I'll do research tomorrow, when I can actually focus on what I'm doing. Maybe I'll even stop by the zoo again and try and get Dave to let me stay after hours. But after our little encounter tonight, I'm not really sure I'll be able to talk to him without ripping him a new one.

'_It's worth it'_ I remind myself, close my eyes, and let sleep claim me.

* * *

**Reviews are like hugs!**

**I LOVE YOU ALL SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER**

**-PackUpTheMoon**


	3. Chapter 3

**Oh man, I just want to start by saying I am SO UNBELIEVABLY SORRY. I could spew out tons of excuses but they wouldn't excuse the fact that I just left you all hanging. It was terrible, and I swear to God I will make such a big effort to not do it. But as you can tell, I am a terrible updater, and I manage to get writers block every time I sit down. fdhklglkd;gjlsdkf. Just know I love you guys if you stuck with me, and those who left, I understand why they did. I am NOT abandoning this story. I have it all planned out and it WILL happen. I don't really know where my BETA is at currently, so I'm just posting this unBETA-ed, and all the mistakes and screw ups are mine. **

**DISCLAIMERS: I do not own Glee**

* * *

The first thing I see when I wake up is a pair of Adidas slides. This would not be a problem if they weren't being worn with the slimiest white socks I've ever seen. And to make matters worse, they're attached to a pair of legs wearing vomit green cargo shorts.

''Oh God, Finn'' I croak, looking up to see that he is also wearing a purple t-shirt under a neon orange vest. ''Oh God, Finn'' I groan louder, and cover my eyes.

''Oh hey, you're awake!'' Finn grins and plops down next to me, jostling me rather roughly in the process.

''What do you think you're wearing?'' I demand, curling away from him so no part of my body comes in contact with his Class 6 fashion disaster.

''I think I look cool'' he protests, smoothing down the front of his vest, and I squawk in disgust.

''You don't look cool'' I roll onto my back and pout, ''you look like you let a blind man dress you. Actually, scratch that. I've seen blind men who dress far better than that''.

Finn sighs and whumps down onto the pillow beside me, ''you're just grumpy because I woke you up'' he says, ''and you took your sweet time getting up too. I was standing there for like, half an hour!''

I turn to the side to give him an odd look, ''were you really standing there for half an hour?'' the creepiness of this whole situation is slowly inching upwards, until Finn laughs.

''Actually, more like five minutes . . . did you know you make a lot of weird noises in your sleep? It was kind of cute at first, but then it just got scary because you were like growling and-''

''Okay, that's enough!'' with one massive push, I manage to shove Finn off the floor, and the sound that he makes when he crashes to the floor kind of reminds me of that one time I saw a vending machine fall over. ''What are you even doing here?'' I ask, as Finn scrambles to right himself.

''Dad wants you'' he wheezes, flopping back onto my bed. ''He told me to wake you up''.

''And you decided to stand there until I woke up'' I deadpan, and Finn nods.

''It worked because you woke up!'' he smiles, and without warning, yanks me out of bed.

Luckily for me, I have better reflexes than Finn, and I manage to land in a crouch. ''Was that payback?'' I ask, struggling to ignore the lightning quick flashes of pain in the balls of my feet.

Finn smirks, and starts towards the stairs, ''possibly'' he says, ''now come upstairs, dad's waiting'' he waits for me to right myself, and then shoots up the stairs, leaving me in comfortable silence.

Jesus, it's hot. I take the stairs two at a time, eager to get out of the sweltering hot basement into the air conditioned main floor.

I'm greeted with quite the odd sight. My father is sitting at the kitchen table, reading his newspaper, and across from him, laid out very neatly, is a bowl, the milk jug, and my favorite cereal.

''What's this for?'' I ask, padding over to him, and he lowers his newspaper.

''What's what for?'' he lifts an eyebrow, and I motion at the food in front of me.

''What's this for. Although I am very happy that you're doing this-'' I pop open the cap on my cereal and pour it into my bowl, filling it almost to the rim ''-I can't help but be somewhat suspicious''.

Dad scoffs, ''come on Kurt, is it so wrong that I wanted to set out breakfast for my amazing son?'' he shakes his head, and I raise my eyebrows in disbelief.

''See, when you start talking like that, I get really suspicious'' I open the milk, and fill my bowl, ''come on dad, what's the hidden message behind this delicious cereal?'' I give dad my best 'I-know-you're-hiding-something' eyes, and within five seconds, he caves.

''I wanted you to come into the shop today'' he says, and I pause with a spoonful of cereal halfway to my mouth.

I pull the spoon into my mouth, and chew slowly, deliberating my answer. ''You know, I'm kind of tired today'' I say, once I've swallowed, and dad sighs, closing his newspaper.

''Come on, Kurt, I've got a 1978 Volkswagen in the garage calling your name . . . '' he trails off and waggles his eyebrows, making me snort.

''Oh, the temptation'' I say sarcastically, even though it really is tempting me. Old cars are my best friends. Whenever I do go into the shop dad always sets aside the old cars for me to fiddle around with.

Dad frowns, ''now come on Kurt, don't be like that. I know very well that you want to come in. I can see it in your eyes'' he tells me, and I groan.

''I'm frustratingly easy to read, aren't I?'' I mutter, and dad laughs.

''Maybe frustrating for you, but definitely not for me'' he closes his newspaper and ruffles my hair affectionately.

''Be ready in half an hour!'' he says, and walk out of the kitchen. Maybe I'll go extra slow just to win myself some more time.

Okay, so this has somewhat ruined my plans. I'd planned to research mermaid behaviour all day, and then possibly drop by the exhibit. Maybe not go into the upper area, but just stay below to see the interaction between the dark haired merman and the others.

My mind flicks back to the dark haired merman, (my merman, as my brain so likes to think) and I grab the newspaper to distract myself. He was in my dream all last night, swimming places I couldn't follow, and thinking about him makes my head hurt.

Another thing that's been on my mind is my inevitable lunch date with David. Even if I tried to turn him down now, he probably wouldn't let me go back up to see into the mermaid tank until I did agree to go out with him, and actually followed through with the plan.

My spoon hits the bottom of the bowl

* * *

loudly and look down to see that I only have a couple mouthfuls left to eat.

Well, so much for taking my time.

I love cars.

I guess I can admit that now that I'm actually waxing the Volkswagen. This is the kind of car I want to drive once I've made it to New York. It's cool and sharp and perfect for a budding fashion legend.

''Looks great, Kurt'' dad says, popping his head in the doorway.

''Thanks'' I say proudly, ''I think the owner will be pretty happy''

''I think he'll be more than happy,'' dad says, tossing an arm around my shoulders, ''I think he'll be ecstatic. You sure you don't want to take over the business?'' he asks, and I roll my eyes.

''As if dad. You know New York is calling my name'' I remind him, and he nods.

''I know, I know kiddo. I think at this point, I can hear it calling you too'' he checks his watch, ''hey, if you want to show the owner your masterpiece, he's just outside waiting to pick his car up'' he tells me, and I instantly perk up.

''I really do want to meet whoever bought this car'' I say, brushing past him to go see who it is. I bet it's some very debonair man, who is impeccably dressed and happens to think I'm the cutest thing since cabbage patch dolls. He'll think that I did such a fabulous job, and oh no, he is no longer worthy of a car like this. He wants me to have it, no he insists-

It's David.

David is standing in the middle of my dad's shop, and because there are no other cars here, I can only assume this one is his.

I step back into the room, and slam my back against the wall.

''Are you okay kiddo?'' Dad asks slowly, giving me an odd look.

I nod vigorously. ''I'm fine . . . except for that's Dave Karofsky out there'' I say quietly, and dad frowns.

''Do you know him?'' he asks, and when I nod, a look of understanding crosses his face. ''He's one of the ones that used to push you around, isn't he?'' his chest puffs up in one of those 'I-Will-Protect!' manners and I wince.

''Um . . . yeah, he is. And I'm also kind of going on a date with him tomorrow'' I groan, and face palm.

Dad stares at me incredulously, ''you're going out with him? Why would you do that?''

''It's kind of a long story'' I trail off, hoping he'll get that I don't want to talk about, but when he raises an eyebrow, I can tell he wants me to keep talking. ''I don't know, apparently he liked me the whole time, and he's actually kind of nice now so I figured I'd at least give him a chance'' I say, hastily making up a plausible lie, and dad purses his lips.

''Alright . . . but if he does anything, or acts the way he used to, you leave right away'' he tells me, 'I don't want you getting hurt''.

I smile gratefully, ''don't worry dad'' I say, ''I can take care of myself'' I give dad a quick hug, and then mustering up some courage, I walk out into the front of the shop.

''Hi Dave'' I say, lifting a hand in a wave, and Dave grins at me.

''Kurt'' he says, his whole face lighting up, ''I didn't know you worked here!''

''Yeah, my dad owns the place and I work a couple of shifts now and then'' I tell him, and he nods.

''That's cool. I guess that means I'll have to drop by more often'' he leans towards me, and I resist the urge to grimace.

''Your car's in the back'' I say, when he's gotten a little too close for comfort, ''do you want me to drive it around for you? Or do you just want me to give you the keys?''

Dave ignores the question, and steps towards me, ''I'm really excited about tomorrow'' he says quietly, and I nod.

''Yeah, um, same'' I look down at my feet, feeling uncomfortable, ''where did you say we'd meet again?'' I ask, and Dave chuckles.

''I didn't say. I was thinking Breadstix though'' he lifts a brow and once again, I resist the urge to grimace. Because even though Breadstix is the best food poisoning, I'm not really in the mood to feel doubly sick after the date.

''That sounds good'' I say, and Dave grins.

''Cool, cool'' he steps closer, until we're inches apart. ''I'll take my keys'' he murmurs, and I fish the keys out of my pocket, holding my hand out.

He catches my hand in his, and holds it for three incredibly long seconds before dropping it. ''See you tomorrow'' he whispers, his breath washing over me and making me shiver in a not good way.

He walks away. I stay there, feeling a little sick. But just thinking about what I'll get out of this date-the afterhours visit to the mermaid tank, the chance to see the tangerine eyed merman-makes me feel a little less sick.

* * *

It's almost six o'clock when I finally open my laptop and find my favorite search engine. I type in the URL to the website of the zoo, and within seconds it opens, the page on mermaids' front and centre.

I click on the page, and it takes me to another, with a picture of the first mermaid I ever saw gazing up at the camera, a serene smile on her face. I copy her smile as I finally zero in on the section I'm looking for.

I click on it, and it brings me to a page that reads, **'MERMAID/MAN TRIAL WEEK'** in big block letters.

**Mermaids/men are beautiful and cherished creatures that should be shared with the world. First, they are taken from their natural habitats in a very safe way, and placed in a zoo just on the coast of where they used to live, so they can get used to staying in enclosed spaces. After about two months of being in human contact, they are moved to another indoor zoo, so they can get used to not being near the ocean. Although mermaids/men are primitive creatures, they are not harmful or dangerous, and are very co-operative.**

**Once a team of zoologists and marine biologists have agreed that the mermaids/men are accustomed enough to humans, they are shipped in very comfortable tanks across the continent to different zoos.**

**When the mermaids arrive here, they are given a two week trial period. Most mermaids/men are somewhat unfriendly during the first couple days in a new place, but after that, are very amicable. If at the end of the trial period, the mermaids/men are still unfriendly and vicious, they are returned back to their original zoo to be rehabilitated and become more accustomed to people.**

**Currently we have 6 mermaid exhibits, and 1 new exhibit of a school of mermen. Hopefully, they will stay with us for a long time!**

Okay, so it's already been 4 days since the mermaids arrived, or well, five if you count them actually arriving on a Thursday. But nevertheless, it's sort of frightening. If the mermen-excluding the tangerine eyed one-continue to be sort of scary, they might have to leave, which really won't be beneficial to my psychoanalysis/fawning over the tangerine eyed merman.

I guess I'll just have to get in as much time with him as possible in the next two weeks, even if it does mean skipping school . . . and going on more dates with Dave.

I don't care though. There's something about the tangerine eyed merman. Something mysterious that makes me want to spend every moment I can with him trying to figure it out.

And I won't stop until I do.

* * *

**Reviews are GREATLY appreciated even if they are mostly you guys yelling at me. **

**Chapter 4 is underway, and I will try to get it up ASAP!**

**-PackUpTheMoon**


End file.
